Urban


I applaud you and your groups efforts to get done what has been accomplished so far.

Thank you for your response and take on it, I am not disputing anything you are saying about the the polling info you saw (just that from all appearances, the Mayor never used/cited it). He did indeed mention "a start" in dealing with the Mass transit issue as MAPS 3 approached and IMO was setting it up to be a piecemeal approach rather than everything essentially at once approach. Probably easier to sell to the voters. BUT on the other hand, what are the voters expecting out of this when MAPS 3 is finished? Functional but incomplete projects (much like the Ford) that are going to require substantial, ongoing expenditures? Not suggesting this is necessarily the case with the Streetcars as after MAPS 3 was announced, it was clear that it was a starter system, but more along the lines of the Convention Center where the according to the speaker the City brought in said they needed the expanded version of the C.C. today, much less what their needs will be 10 years from now when the C.C. is open. Hardly any mention of the probable public/private partnership required to get the C.C. hotel built (according to the ULI info, the public part could easily be in the $50M area). Don't get Spatan started on the $30M of the C.C. budget that has been promised to OG&E for the substation (no matter where the C.C. ends up)...LOL

There were many areas that almost lead to MAPS 3 being defeated and the C.C. seems to have been at the top of the list when according to the scientific polling it never polled above 50% approval. As the most expensive item in the announced list, it certainly contributed. As far as the fear tactics about cuts to public safety, despite promises by the Mayor that it would not happen, that not only would there not be any cuts, but personnel would be added, ended up not being the case.

The have had several years to work out the regional aspects with other communities etc as the first mention of MAPS 3 was in 2003 shortly after MAPS for Kids passed (2001). Humphreys was Mayor and Burns Hargis was head of the Chamber. Hargis supported a Streetcar system to somehow be built (more in lines with the one planned with the original MAPS that would go from Bricktown to the Fairgrounds and to the Meridian corridor) by the Centennial (difficult to do since MAPS for Kids would have still been in effect and a MAPS 3 would have been an obvious tax increase). Humphreys was cool to the idea. But I digress...the point is, there has been plenty of time to get all of the ducks in a row with surrounding communities and an educational campaign. They knew well in advance when the MAPS for Kids tax would end (even got a 15 month extension of time by the Ford tax). I lay that fault back at the City Leaders collective feet.